Rockies Padres series: Padres open key Petco Park homestand
The Rockies Padres series opens with San Diego hosting Colorado for two games at Petco Park, kicking off a six-game homestand central to the Padres’ wild-card chase. San Diego has won six of seven meetings this year, with Michael King (3.24 ERA) facing Michael Lorenzen (6.53 ERA) on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways
- The Padres (50-53) host the Rockies (42-65) for a two-game set that opens six home games before the trade deadline.
- San Diego has won six of seven against Colorado this season; the Rockies hold MLB’s worst winning percentage (.393).
- Tuesday’s opener pairs Michael King (6-7, 3.24 ERA) against Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.53 ERA).
- A Miami sweep lifted San Diego’s Fangraphs playoff odds to 15.1% while the Padres sit 1½ games out of a wild-card spot.
Why does this Rockies Padres matchup matter now?
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres are 1½ games out of a wild-card berth with four teams still ahead of them. They finished 5-5 on their first second-half road trip, then return home for six games before the deadline.
Colorado is last in the NL West at 42-65, 13 games out of a wild-card spot, and just 18-36 on the road. For more offbeat sports and culture coverage, browse our Bizarre World hub.
Who pitches in the Rockies Padres opener?
First pitch Tuesday is 6:40 p.m. local on Padres.TV. King has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts (1.96 ERA in that stretch), though San Diego is only 1-3 in those games.
Yahoo Sports reports King owns a 3.24 ERA over 21 starts with 103 strikeouts and 3.1 WAR. His only major-league complete game was a two-hit shutout of the Rockies last season. Lorenzen leads MLB in hits allowed and is tied for the NL lead in losses, with opponents hitting .327/.385/.529 against him this year.
Lorenzen’s name has also entered trade chatter. He lasted just 3.2 innings and allowed six earned runs in his latest start against Washington, after giving up two or fewer earned runs over at least five innings in six of his previous eight outings.
What else shapes the Rockies Padres series?
Wednesday’s Game 2 starts at 1:10 p.m., with Rockies rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-2, 2.79 ERA) facing a Padres starter still listed as TBA. Catcher Hunter Goodman is Colorado’s July spark, batting .344/.444/.639 with five of his team-high 31 homers this month.
San Diego’s July power has come from Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill (seven homers apiece) plus Ty France (six, with a club-best 1.006 July OPS). Closer Mason Miller remains perfect in save chances at 27-for-27 with a 0.82 ERA as the Padres look to lean on that bullpen edge.